Donatello’s Gattamelata, one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture, has been carefully removed from its pedestal in front of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua for a major conservation project.
The forecourt of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua became the stage for the event, which took place earlier this month. Under the eyes of engineers, restorers, and heritage officials, Donatello’s bronze equestrian statue of Erasmo da Narni, better known as the Gattamelata, was taken down for the first time in 85 years. The operation marks the beginning of a new phase of conservation for one of the most important public sculptures of the fifteenth century.
A historic descent
Photo courtesy Friends of Florence
The Gattamelata—a nickname meaning “Honey-Cat”—was created by Donatello between 1447 and 1453 to commemorate Erasmo da Narni, a condottiero who served the Republic of Venice. The statue, with its calm rider and powerful horse, was among the first monumental equestrian bronzes cast in Western Europe since antiquity, helping to revive the classical tradition in Renaissance Italy.
On October 8, engineers and restorers began the painstaking process of lowering the Rider. The 450-kilogram bronze figure was detached from its stone base on the Basilica’s forecourt and, after a brief but tense “flight,” was placed onto a special support structure that will hold it safely during upcoming studies. Later that morning, the Gattamelata was transported about 80 metres to the site of a former museum, where it will remain for several months.
The next day, October 9, it was the Horse’s turn. Weighing about 1.6 tonnes, the imposing bronze animal was detached from its base and reunited with its Rider later that evening at the museum. According to the Scientific Director, Architect Ugo Soragni, the Horse’s legs had been anchored with iron pins probably installed during the Second World War. “It was necessary to cut them to free the statue from the base, which, despite its apparent solidity, hides a certain internal weakness,” he explained. “This comprehensive restoration will also include structural consolidation of the stone base that has supported the bronzes until now.”
Science and teamwork
Photo courtesy Friends of Florence
Throughout the delicate descent and transport, every movement of the statues was carefully monitored. Technicians from Expin Srl fitted the Gattamelata with sensors at the joints and accelerometers to detect even the slightest vibration.
“The removal and transport of the bronze work proceeded exactly as planned and were successfully completed with full respect for the artwork,” said restorer Nicola Salvioli, who leads the conservation team. “Thanks to the care, skill, and coordination of everyone involved—restorers, handlers, crane operators, and metalworkers—the operation was a success.”
The project has brought together a large group of specialists and institutions. Alongside the restoration team and engineers were Dr. Roberto Ciabattoni from Italy’s Central Institute for Restoration, Dr. Marta Mazza and Dr. Monica Pregnolato from the regional Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, and representatives of the Pontifical Delegation for the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
Photo courtesy Friends of Florence
“A masterpiece of this importance for the Basilica and for the city of Padua deserves the greatest attention,” said Father Antonio Ramina, Rector of the Basilica. “It is our duty to ensure that those who come after us can continue to admire such a work—ingenious both artistically and culturally.”
Also present were Padua’s mayor Sergio Giordani and city culture councillor Andrea Colasio, underlining the civic significance of the event.
Six months of study ahead
Photo courtesy Friends of Florence
The first investigative phase, carried out in cooperation with the University of Padua’s Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies, had already identified areas of surface alteration and structural vulnerability. The decision to move the monument indoors was therefore taken to ensure that the next studies could proceed in a controlled environment.
“Now that the Rider and Horse are in the museum, it will take several months to complete all the analytical and interpretive work,” said Soragni. “Only then will it be possible to draft the final restoration plan, which must be approved by the Superintendency.”
Experts will conduct extensive scientific analyses of the bronze surfaces, the inner structures, and the condition of the stone pedestal. According to Soragni, these efforts must remain grounded in scientific rigour: “The continuation of studies and restoration must maintain this same level of discipline, so that final decisions—whether to return the statue outdoors or preserve it in a protected setting—can be made with full awareness and responsibility.”
International support
Photo courtesy Friends of Florence
The conservation campaign has been made possible through the generous backing of two American non-profit organisations, Friends of Florence and Save Venice, both of which have long histories of supporting art conservation in Italy.
Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, President of Friends of Florence, described the disassembly as “the first act in the restoration of this important monument located in front of the Basilica of the Saint in Padua.” She also thanked the donor Stacy Simon, as well as all the engineers and technicians who made the operation possible.
This month’s removal marks only the third time Donatello’s Gattamelata has been taken down from its pedestal since its installation around 1457. The first occurred in November 1917, when the monument was sent to Palazzo Venezia in Rome for safekeeping during the First World War; it returned to Padua in July 1919. The second removal took place on October 1, 1940, at the start of the Second World War, when the statue was dismantled and sheltered at the Abbey of Carceri d’Este until June 1945.
Donatello’s Gattamelata, one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture, has been carefully removed from its pedestal in front of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua for a major conservation project.
The forecourt of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua became the stage for the event, which took place earlier this month. Under the eyes of engineers, restorers, and heritage officials, Donatello’s bronze equestrian statue of Erasmo da Narni, better known as the Gattamelata, was taken down for the first time in 85 years. The operation marks the beginning of a new phase of conservation for one of the most important public sculptures of the fifteenth century.
A historic descent
The Gattamelata—a nickname meaning “Honey-Cat”—was created by Donatello between 1447 and 1453 to commemorate Erasmo da Narni, a condottiero who served the Republic of Venice. The statue, with its calm rider and powerful horse, was among the first monumental equestrian bronzes cast in Western Europe since antiquity, helping to revive the classical tradition in Renaissance Italy.
On October 8, engineers and restorers began the painstaking process of lowering the Rider. The 450-kilogram bronze figure was detached from its stone base on the Basilica’s forecourt and, after a brief but tense “flight,” was placed onto a special support structure that will hold it safely during upcoming studies. Later that morning, the Gattamelata was transported about 80 metres to the site of a former museum, where it will remain for several months.
The next day, October 9, it was the Horse’s turn. Weighing about 1.6 tonnes, the imposing bronze animal was detached from its base and reunited with its Rider later that evening at the museum. According to the Scientific Director, Architect Ugo Soragni, the Horse’s legs had been anchored with iron pins probably installed during the Second World War. “It was necessary to cut them to free the statue from the base, which, despite its apparent solidity, hides a certain internal weakness,” he explained. “This comprehensive restoration will also include structural consolidation of the stone base that has supported the bronzes until now.”
Science and teamwork
Throughout the delicate descent and transport, every movement of the statues was carefully monitored. Technicians from Expin Srl fitted the Gattamelata with sensors at the joints and accelerometers to detect even the slightest vibration.
“The removal and transport of the bronze work proceeded exactly as planned and were successfully completed with full respect for the artwork,” said restorer Nicola Salvioli, who leads the conservation team. “Thanks to the care, skill, and coordination of everyone involved—restorers, handlers, crane operators, and metalworkers—the operation was a success.”
The project has brought together a large group of specialists and institutions. Alongside the restoration team and engineers were Dr. Roberto Ciabattoni from Italy’s Central Institute for Restoration, Dr. Marta Mazza and Dr. Monica Pregnolato from the regional Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, and representatives of the Pontifical Delegation for the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
“A masterpiece of this importance for the Basilica and for the city of Padua deserves the greatest attention,” said Father Antonio Ramina, Rector of the Basilica. “It is our duty to ensure that those who come after us can continue to admire such a work—ingenious both artistically and culturally.”
Also present were Padua’s mayor Sergio Giordani and city culture councillor Andrea Colasio, underlining the civic significance of the event.
Six months of study ahead
The first investigative phase, carried out in cooperation with the University of Padua’s Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies, had already identified areas of surface alteration and structural vulnerability. The decision to move the monument indoors was therefore taken to ensure that the next studies could proceed in a controlled environment.
“Now that the Rider and Horse are in the museum, it will take several months to complete all the analytical and interpretive work,” said Soragni. “Only then will it be possible to draft the final restoration plan, which must be approved by the Superintendency.”
Experts will conduct extensive scientific analyses of the bronze surfaces, the inner structures, and the condition of the stone pedestal. According to Soragni, these efforts must remain grounded in scientific rigour: “The continuation of studies and restoration must maintain this same level of discipline, so that final decisions—whether to return the statue outdoors or preserve it in a protected setting—can be made with full awareness and responsibility.”
International support
The conservation campaign has been made possible through the generous backing of two American non-profit organisations, Friends of Florence and Save Venice, both of which have long histories of supporting art conservation in Italy.
Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, President of Friends of Florence, described the disassembly as “the first act in the restoration of this important monument located in front of the Basilica of the Saint in Padua.” She also thanked the donor Stacy Simon, as well as all the engineers and technicians who made the operation possible.
This month’s removal marks only the third time Donatello’s Gattamelata has been taken down from its pedestal since its installation around 1457. The first occurred in November 1917, when the monument was sent to Palazzo Venezia in Rome for safekeeping during the First World War; it returned to Padua in July 1919. The second removal took place on October 1, 1940, at the start of the Second World War, when the statue was dismantled and sheltered at the Abbey of Carceri d’Este until June 1945.
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